Rep. Thomas Massie says state legislatures, not voters, should pick U.S. senators
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Rep. Thomas Massie tweeted Thursday morning that he believes the 17th amendment, which established the direct election of senators, is a mistake.
"The 16th amendment (direct taxation of citizens) and the 17th amendment (direct election of Senators) should be collectively labeled the '10th amendment bypass package.' Both were egregious mistakes and harmful to our republic," he tweeted.
Massie, an outspoken Republican from Lewis County, clarified to The Enquirer that he believes senators should be chosen by state legislatures, as was the case before 1913, when the 17th amendment was ratified.
“Our republic would function better if Senators were selected by states as the Constitution originally provided," Massie wrote in a comment to The Enquirer. "Ratification of the 17th amendment drastically changed the nature of the Senate, effectively turning it into a House of Representatives with six year terms, and leaving States proper without representation in Washington, DC.”
He has not proposed any legislation repealing the 17th amendment.
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The 16th amendment (direct taxation of citizens) and the 17 amendment (direct election of Senators) should be collectively labeled the “10th amendment bypass package.”
Both were egregious mistakes and harmful to our republic.— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) January 27, 2022
Northern Kentucky reporter Rachel Berry can be reached at rberry@enquirer.com. Follow her on Twitter @racheldberry.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Thomas Massie: Change how we elect U.S. senators
